Mozzarella
Member
They got better over time.
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How much do you value Metacritic / OpenCritic?
- Thread starter Men_in_Boxes
- Start date
Schmendrick
Member
I have a few reviewers that seem to have the same tastes as me. If those give a game high scores I'll look into it if I'm interested at all.
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jayj
Banned
Only problem I have with Steam reviews is how everyone who leaves a review is someone who found something appealing or they're a fan of it. Like there's a lot of games that get a lot of very or overwhelmingly positive responses that simply comes down to there being a big fanbase for franchise, developer, creator, whatever.
jayj
Banned
This is basically how I approach gaming these days. Like I've been into gaming and collecting for so long that I have a pretty good concept of most of what is out there, and I know exactly what I generally enjoy and don't find appealing. This can often put me at odds with "the gaming community," fanboys, popular and sensationalist takes, but I guess that's just a part of having experience and knowing what you like.
ShadyAcshuns
Member
I don't like them, and even go as far to say I think they're potentially harmful to the industry. Unfortunately, a lot of people who buy games believe everything they say about games. We've learned over the years that, in some cases, reviewers have ulterior motives, don't fully play the game, have specific biases against a company, a developer, an individual, and the worst ones use their review scores as weapons for or against a game. Just as bad are the political agendas that warp a reviewer's point of view. And then there are those who just blindly score games based on what a majority of others are scoring them. And finally we have those out there who just want to lower a high average, like that one weirdo that shall not be named.
I tend to put much more stock in those who don't use numbers, like our very own
Karak
.
I tend to put much more stock in those who don't use numbers, like our very own
Karak
.
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Zero_Karisma
Neo Member
I definitely pay attention to those aggregate scores for both games and movies. With the amount of content coming out in those spaces and lack of time I have, the last thing I want to do is waste time on some poorly designed, broken ass game.
I’ve been around long to know that the scores generally lineup close enough to my opinions that they are definitely worth considering when trying to weed out a lot of dead weight.
The reviews I almost never consider is user reviews and opinions. Those reviews too often come from a place of fanboyism or some kind of social conformity. There definitely are some exceptions to that. Steam seems to be more reliable than most user aggregated scores. IMDB for movies is also another reliable source.
I’ve been around long to know that the scores generally lineup close enough to my opinions that they are definitely worth considering when trying to weed out a lot of dead weight.
The reviews I almost never consider is user reviews and opinions. Those reviews too often come from a place of fanboyism or some kind of social conformity. There definitely are some exceptions to that. Steam seems to be more reliable than most user aggregated scores. IMDB for movies is also another reliable source.
Drizzlehell
Banned
Good enough indicator, but not a definitive source of truth either. I always look up multiple sources if I'm undecided about something.
Danjin44
The nicest person on this forum
Who cares, at end of the day you are the one playing the game no one else, if you enjoying it then thats all that matters.
I played games long enough to know what I enjoy, I dont need reviews to tell me if Armoured Core VI is worth it or not, I have seen from the game and enjoyed devs work to know I'm gonna enjoy the game regardless what "scores" it gets.
jayj
Banned
Oh yeah I definitely agree with you there, but then again maturing and growing has a lot to do with that. Like when I was younger I would try to get into things that other people like, or try to find a way to enjoy whatever the popular new game was. Now a days, now that I am older and wiser, I just don't even bother with other people taste and biases. If I see something that grabs my personal interest, I will want to check it out regardless of what others think or have to say. If I see a bunch of people praising something that doesn't interest me at all, I just disregard it and don't bother with the game. I have been around gamers long enough to know how cliquish and sensationalist they can be.
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Elder Legend
Banned
Regardless of what the general gaming public thinks or believes what I can tell you from a factual standpoint is that Metacritic and OpenCritic is absolutely vital and super important to publishers. There are publishers out there that expect certain games to perform a certain way on these websites.
The only reason I am able to say this, is because i work in this idnsutry for over a decade and I've talked to some of the PR agencies that get hired by these publishers. I obviously won't mention the names of the PR agencies or the publishers due to privacy reasons. But they told me some very interesting and crazy things that happen behind the scenes.
I'll just say I had some very interesting conversations with these people that opened my eyes. People don't really realize how vital these meta scoring average is to these publishers. Behind the curtains, there is a stupid amount of pressure from the publishers to both their marketing agencies and the developers. Money is a root of all evil.
The only reason I am able to say this, is because i work in this idnsutry for over a decade and I've talked to some of the PR agencies that get hired by these publishers. I obviously won't mention the names of the PR agencies or the publishers due to privacy reasons. But they told me some very interesting and crazy things that happen behind the scenes.
I'll just say I had some very interesting conversations with these people that opened my eyes. People don't really realize how vital these meta scoring average is to these publishers. Behind the curtains, there is a stupid amount of pressure from the publishers to both their marketing agencies and the developers. Money is a root of all evil.
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DeepEnigma
Gold Member
I like them for seeing people say they don't mean a thing until they want to use them for war.
Obsidian would get a bonus if Fallout New Vegas had a 85+ metascore, it ended with 84. Raf Grassetti said that it mattered a lot to Sony, and so did John Garvin from Days Gone that despite the game selling well and having a very popular public opion in contrast with critics Sony considered the latter to be one reason to not greenlit a sequel.
Anyone saying it doesn't matter doesn't see the whole picture, people want to make the most of their money and just will just look at the scores instead of reading reviews to save time, only games with popular word of mouth/big marketing/big name gets through mixed reception.
saintjules
Member
Not when they're review bombing for no reason.
Pros and cons all day long now. Forget number / percentage based ratings.
DeepSpace5D
Member
I’ll usually glance out of curiosity to see what a game gets, but it never influences my purchase decisions.
Elder Legend
Banned
100%
Lucie Goosey
Member
Steam reviews > Metacritic / Open critic.
But I actually read the reviews and watch a little bit of gameplay before I decide this is something I want.
Sometimes people critique things that aren't a big deal to me, or think highly of something I find trivial.
Sometimes my thoughts and opinions are in the minority.
But I actually read the reviews and watch a little bit of gameplay before I decide this is something I want.
Sometimes people critique things that aren't a big deal to me, or think highly of something I find trivial.
Sometimes my thoughts and opinions are in the minority.
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Laieon
Member
Not a whole lot, but the older I get the more I find my opinion on games divulges more and more from what is considered good/GOTY-worthy anyway. It's pretty common these days that something that sits around 70/80 on Metacritic ends up being something I enjoy more than something that got critical acclaim or whatever the 90s/mid-90+ tag is.
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Justin9mm
Member
It's really a case by case. It's a guide. If you put stock into reviews, you need to read reviews not just the scores. There are things that may rate a game down or higher that you don't agree with or may not bother you personally.
I think they are good for an overall consensus. Usually if every review about a game is bad, it's bad. 7/10 is usually not considered a bad game imo.
I think they are good for an overall consensus. Usually if every review about a game is bad, it's bad. 7/10 is usually not considered a bad game imo.
Arsic
Loves his juicy stink trail scent
Lol please. Steam reviews are 99% awful meme cringlords posting idiotic shit akin to 4chan or YT comments as a review. With a few not retarded reviews.
The most useful way to see if a game is good:
Watch a gameplay trailer
Play a demo if available
Ask a friend who already played it their thoughts
Watch reviews from a few sources
Check places like GAF for impressions
If you followed steam reviews for over watch 2 you’d think it’s unplayable . If you read Reddit on Diablo 4 you’d think it blows up your device while playing. It’s all hate cesspools from troglodytes who likely don’t even play the damn games.
killatopak
Member
Here’s my way of looking at it.
On genres and IPs I recognize or enjoy, scores don’t matter. I’m looking for reviews from people I trust, mostly from community reviews and impressions.
For genres and IPs that are not my favorite or unknown/new, the scores matter more as I have no bias towards that content and looking for more general review. The scores entice me towards something I have no interest to begin with and allows me to have motivation to check them out if it’s high enough.
On genres and IPs I recognize or enjoy, scores don’t matter. I’m looking for reviews from people I trust, mostly from community reviews and impressions.
For genres and IPs that are not my favorite or unknown/new, the scores matter more as I have no bias towards that content and looking for more general review. The scores entice me towards something I have no interest to begin with and allows me to have motivation to check them out if it’s high enough.
El Muerto
Member
I dont trust any reviews. Why would I listen to someone who plays games just to criticize about them online? Then you have people review games and give a low score for minor issues like a graphical glitch here or there or a non-gamebreaking bug. If you only play the popular games then you're missing out. Played Evil West and Wanted Dead this year and i find them much more fun than most games rated in the 70-80s like Tales of Arise (87), Stray (83), and GoW Ragnarok (94). People like what they like and that's ok.
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I don't go to metacritic, so it has very little value to me. Generally I don't buy games right after they've been released. I wait for discounts and what the general word of mouth is on a game. Patience in my purchases has been far more valuable than a metacritic score days after reviews come out.
GigaBowser
The bear of bad news
Clirkbait woke shills Im going to start my own review socieities
Griffon
Member
I actively dont care about "professional" reviews. These people don't have any experience with games and are just regugirtating common talking points they've heard once or twice, or worse yet their personal politics. I haven't visited any review site in more than a decade and I've been doing a lot better at finding the games I enjoy.
If a game's premise interests me, I watch uncut gameplay or streams and read a few steam reviews.
If a game's premise interests me, I watch uncut gameplay or streams and read a few steam reviews.
Vox Machina
Banned
Not at all. I make up my own opinion using reviewers whose opinion usually aligns with my own, my own lived experience, and footage of the game.
I value it as a seismograph and for the zeitgeist of the video game landscape. As with films and books they, too, are products of socio-cultural influence, audience expectations and profit capitalization (all in varying degrees) but also of technological advancements. I have never finished Half Life 2 and didn't enjoy it as much as the majority but I recognise its achievements and what made it so brilliant for others. MetaCritic reflects this sentiment. Same goes for Dark Souls or Bloodborne which I never finished either and only liked them to a point.
So in this regard, it is more useful for (historical) context and probing what kind of games are considered brilliant at a certain time and landscape.
With more distance we could probably write theses about Baldur's Gate 3 and how an excellent and successful game, in a genre with less mass appeal than others, without ingame monetization is considered an anomaly by some people and that even not talking about the game raises eyebrows because it is apparently so good you have to talk about it in podcasts, videos, articles and so on. And even persons from the industry have more to say to it than the typical "congratulations to the release".
In that sense MetaCritic and OpenCritic confines player and critics appreciation into a single number to make it importance (at least at the time of publishing) be grasped within a second. Of course this number can't cover much more aspects than that. So, personally I'm not loosing any sleep over a number I personally might not agree with because that's not the point.
So in this regard, it is more useful for (historical) context and probing what kind of games are considered brilliant at a certain time and landscape.
With more distance we could probably write theses about Baldur's Gate 3 and how an excellent and successful game, in a genre with less mass appeal than others, without ingame monetization is considered an anomaly by some people and that even not talking about the game raises eyebrows because it is apparently so good you have to talk about it in podcasts, videos, articles and so on. And even persons from the industry have more to say to it than the typical "congratulations to the release".
In that sense MetaCritic and OpenCritic confines player and critics appreciation into a single number to make it importance (at least at the time of publishing) be grasped within a second. Of course this number can't cover much more aspects than that. So, personally I'm not loosing any sleep over a number I personally might not agree with because that's not the point.
mrmustard
Banned
They're always good for a laugh. I prefer Steam where real gamers rate the games and not some biased, woke, so called professionals with useless 5 star rating systems. But the best thing is if you find a Youtuber or something with similar taste in genres. If you agree with most of his conclusions after pplaying the game, you found a good source for the future.
Robb
Gold Member
The artful mincer
Member
Opencritic is fine.
Metacritic needs to be dragged through the mud, flogged and publicly shamed.
It's amazing that everyone has accepted there weighted score nonsense.
Is there not a more blatant form of bias in this industry?
Metacritic needs to be dragged through the mud, flogged and publicly shamed.
It's amazing that everyone has accepted there weighted score nonsense.
Is there not a more blatant form of bias in this industry?
LostDonkey
Member
I don't pay attention to them at all.
If I like the look of a game, I'll try it, make my own mind up and either carry on or drop it.
Other peoples views, opinions, likes and dislikes mean nothing to me. We all have different tastes and ideas on what should be a good game, story, mechanic etc.
I've absolutely loved games in the past that the majority of people hate, and also completed hated some games that have got "critical acclaim".
A lot of it these days is politics and agendas and I'll have no part.
If I like the look of a game, I'll try it, make my own mind up and either carry on or drop it.
Other peoples views, opinions, likes and dislikes mean nothing to me. We all have different tastes and ideas on what should be a good game, story, mechanic etc.
I've absolutely loved games in the past that the majority of people hate, and also completed hated some games that have got "critical acclaim".
A lot of it these days is politics and agendas and I'll have no part.
SF Kosmo
Al Jazeera Special Reporter
I definitely value and consider good metacritic scores, but of course it also depends on if a game is in a genre I like and other individual taste factors.
When those factors line up, I usually find myself fairly aligned with the consensus. Not always, of course, but enough so that it influences purchasing decisions.
Metacritic user scores are often stupid and polluted by Internet bullshit that I don't follow or understand.
When those factors line up, I usually find myself fairly aligned with the consensus. Not always, of course, but enough so that it influences purchasing decisions.
Metacritic user scores are often stupid and polluted by Internet bullshit that I don't follow or understand.
oji-san
Banned
I like checking reviews even when a game i want gets low reviews, ultimately i will see gameplay videos and will kinda know if a game is right to me, tho in some case like Death Stranding i didn't think i will enjoy the game when watched it's gameplay but man oh man it was fantastic.
So yeah i like reading them but it won't effect me as i know what i like usually.
So yeah i like reading them but it won't effect me as i know what i like usually.
amigastar
Member
Does Metacritic have a new design? It seems so.
www.metacritic.com
Movie Reviews, TV Reviews, Game Reviews, and Music Reviews
Metacritic aggregates music, game, tv, and movie reviews from the leading critics. Only Metacritic.com uses METASCORES, which let you know at a glance how each item was reviewed.
www.metacritic.com
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digoutyoursoul
Member
I don’t trust the majority of the reviewers. I suspect a lot of them have far too cushy a relationship with publishers to ever be fully sincere with most of their reviews. They don’t have the consumers interests at heart put it that way. You tubers are just as bad too, particularly the Xbox focused ones, I can’t bring myself to watch any of them anymore, that Colteastwood guy for example is a soulless disgrace.
Sleepwalker
Member
I dont care really but I adore the drama they bring.
